Saint Charles v City of God
Blyth v Gateshead Redheugh
Blyth Spartans v Bradford Park Avenue
So, a momentous week, as Thursday night saw the return to drinking after an 18 month break. A Milltown - Tiger's Tail being the drink of honour at the Jubilee Refreshment Rooms on Sowerby station.
A nice gentle easing back into it, with twelve more cleared before the end of the evening, which ended at a pub quiz in Halifax and learning that the most northern sounding argument, is the answer to what name is given to ground that has been frozen for more than two years? A couple from Mytholroyd shouting 'permafrost' 'nooo, Arctic fookin tundra' is exactly what I have been missing. Question 16 below, probably less so, as perhaps the dullest quiz question ever is encountered.
Though the local advertising seems to have become slightly niche.
So today was the first football and drinking day for a season and a half, and a jaunt around Northumberland.
An early arrival into Leeds and a Scarborough service a couple of minutes down, meant the luxury of a carriage to myself as this is a double set.
Off at York.
With the station consumed by the emissions from a steam powered Pacer.
It finally clagging off on a Harrogate loop service.
I was onto a Brum-Toon Cross Country service, which was taken through to destination.
Downstairs to the Metro, and a ten minute wait for an Airport bound service gave a chance to take in the adverting. Is 'surprisingly different' really the best thing that could be said about the local grammar school?
Never mind, the words can't be as haunting as the those midway up the right edge of this one. Just when you've got people interested.
In time, a double set arrived.
And whisked me to Callerton Parkway.
As ever in the church leagues, half the clubs are normal, traditional churches, and half seem to be from the happy clapping brigade. Saint Charles seem to be firmly in the former, describing themselves as "a Roman Catholic church welcoming people of all faiths and none" and then talking a lot about the listed building status of the various walls in the church.
The City of God Christian Centre state they have a primary objective is to “propagate the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ through organised worship, prayers, Christian teaching, outreaches, creation of facilities for meeting/services, publications, the use of the media and any other means that is available to us”. The latter probably means football. They then go onto mention ‘funds’ quite a lot, which I’m sure is perfectly normal.
Druid Park has a bit of a murky history. It was originally developed by football side Newcastle Blue Star, under the name the Wheatsheaf Ground. They got a 150k wedge from the Football Stadia Improvement Fund to develop the ground, which they did. However, this co-inicded with a rise up to the Northern Premier League, which the ground was not up to grading standards. So the club did a deal with nearby Newcastle Falcon's rugby union club. This allowed Blue Star to play at the Falcon's Kingston Park, and in return they signed over the 25 year lease of the Wheatsheaf ground over to the rugby club took to use as it's training facility. However, the Football Foundation quite rightly asked for its money back, as it wasn't giving out grants for football stadiums, only to see them being used for rugby training. Blue Star didn't haven't the 100k to pay back, it's main backer left, and the club went bust. The rugby club, with it's 25 year lease, had brought in South Gosforth Rugby Union to play there, but with the demise of Blue Star, they instead moved into the main Kingston Park Ground. Instead, it is West Allotment Celtic of the Northern League who now play here, somewhat distant from West Allotment itself and also from the Whitley Park/Blue Flames ground I last saw them playing home games at.
Spectator facilities are these covers on the far touchline. The one in the far right is the original one with wooden benching that used to have 'Newcastle Blue Star' emblazoned in eight foot high letters down the back of it.
It has been joined by an additional cover, which seems to be used primarily for netting, bits of removed palisade fencing, and off-cut tree branches.
The near touchline is a car park.
Rather oddly, the near goal line abuts a Premier Inn. This was previously the Wheatsheaf Inn that gave the ground its original name.
With the changing room block in the corner, having been modelled on a 1960s council estate pub.
At the far end is a grass area which was where the football pitches were originally located. At some point in the 1980s they took over the pub car park and were moved to the current location. There used to be a steadily decaying stand in the hedge on the left, but the area is now occupied by a rugby pitch.
With some exceedingly bent posts.
Oh, and also the end of the runway of Newcastle Airport.
So, I set about a very unique footballing experience of watching a game from the car park of a Premier Inn.
With a very 'robust' visiting keeper.
I was circulating around the pitch, with my usual predatory instinct of being at the wrong end for every goal.
So I got a good view of a home attack.
But not a great view of them taking the lead.
Similarly, a good view of the morning sun highlighting sustained pressure for St Charles.
Which didn't lead to a second goal until I'd gone to the other end.
Needless to say, the third happened as soon as I'd crossed the halfway line.
How about a free kick, right infront of goal?
No, the fourth goal coming a couple of minutes later when I was around behind the dugouts.
The other end having similar issues.
So it was a return to @nonleague_plane with Jet2 flight LS529 to none other than Funchal Cristiano Ronaldo Airport
There was also a @nonleague_train/@keepers_towel combo.
I fought my way past the masses to take a seat in the main stand. On their website, the City of God Christian Centre state they believe in; the Virgin Birth, Sinless Life, Miraculous Ministry, Substitutionary Atoning Death, Bodily Resurrection, Triumphant Ascension and Intercession of the Lord Christ and in His personal, visible, bodily return in power and glory as the blessed hope of all believers.
What they didn’t appear to believe in was passing it to a team mate if you are in the opposition half the whole philosophy appeared to be to get the ball, take one touch then shoot.
However this soon payed off with City of God rifling a shot in from outside the box. The law of averages suggested one had to go in. I got involved in discussion with the linesman and we agreed that the law of averages ratio was probably twice a season. This is why I don't watch the Premier league; you don't get the opportunity to have such instant, incisive analytical discussions with match officials.
The two half time team talks took place on the pitch, the home side seemed keen to pretend it was 0-0, whilst the away side manager instructed his team to 'forget the scoreline'.
Which resulted in a goal less second half and the game ending 4-1. A pleasant start to the day, a good chance to re-visit a venue, not the worst of games and no-one seemed particularly bothered by an outsider taking photos.
I wandered back to the station, stopping off to have a chat with a horse and a raven.
My previous visits to the ground had coincided with coming to see the infrequent freight services to ICI Callerton. This was a gunpowder factory that used to send wagons of dynamite to Welsh slate quarries. It shut in the 1990s which allowed the Metro to be extended along the branch to the Airport. However, they still used the open crossing arrangement, despite the road now being the link to the main dual carriageway into Newcastle, and having a train every six minutes.
This line, the Gosforth and Ponteland Railway was built relatively late on, in the 1910s as Newcastle was steadily expanding outwards, and this was expected to stimulate development to the North West. It was intended for this to be an electric passenger railway, so as can be seen, gradients were quite steep. However, the residential development never took place and the line had closed to passengers by 1929 but was kept open by the ICI works until the 1990s.
My Metro arrived, eventually heading for South Hyton, the other side of a sewage infested Sunderland station..
These have an odd little driving compartment in one corner of the train, so you can sit alongside them looking at the line ahead. Ever wanted to know where Smarties are made? Well, here we pass the Nestle factory at Bank Foot, which was rail served until the 1980s. My mate fat Jacko, the notorious liar, lived by Severn Tunnel Junction yard near Newport, and his grandad worked there. He said you knew when the monthly Rowtree's train had arrived for transferring onto road trucks, as for the next week, every kid in his school had a Kit Kat in their packed lunch. Like I said, he has never knowingly told the truth about anything though. He tried to corroborate this story by saying that you could tell the Rowtree's VDA waggons as they had white painted roofs to reflect the sun and stop the chocolate melting.
Anyway, that's enough character assassination of station contact managers. I was off at Regent Centre, which is a very fancy name for a large car port and a multi storey car park.
Though there was a fancy ceramic tile mural of a Metro.
I headed along Gosforth High Street. Obviously Bengal wasn't new enough, and nor was New Bengal.
However, this was my destination.
And here it was, my first footballing beer for eighteen months. But what has happened in that time? "Vegan friendly unfined and unfiltered IPA packed full of fruits"?? Who let these cunts make beer??
However, I partook. What better way of easing yourself back into drinking with two post 5% IPAs before 11am?
The next Guide pub was just down the street.
Although the horror of the sign on the left nearly put me off. One of the few good things about not drinking is that it is much, much easier to avoid the six nations. Which almost makes it worthwhile.
This time it was a nice round 6%.
I'd waited 544 days for this, I wasn't going to ruin it by doing the other GBG tick, the inevitable 'Spoons.
So I headed for the bus stop for my next move, where someone from the Ambulance Service tried to do a questionaire about defibrillators.
- Her "Q1; Do you know the location of the nearest defibrillator?
- Me "No, I'm not from round here".
- Her "Well, its round by the church. Not that it ever works, the kids keep nicking the batteries from it. We don't know why. Do they nick the batteries from them round your way? Do the police know why?
I was in danger of missing my bus whilst trying to solve the criminal intentions of in cardiopulmonary resuscitation deniers, so bid her farewell and jumped on an X11 service for Newbiggin-by-the-Sea which until that moment, I thought was in Lincolnshire.
Having just spent 3.57% of my life to date sobor, three pints down on an empty stomach, and I was bouncing. I'd got the whole of the top deck of the bus to myself so here are some highlights of the ride.
- The B1318/A1(M) North Brunton Interchange
The eastbound carriageway of the A19 passing Seaton Burn Travel Lodge. This is the nothern end of the A19, a full 121 miles from the southern extremity, the junction of St Mary's Roundabout with the A630 Church Way and A638, just to the north of Doncaster. Whilst reserching the length of the road, I looked at this page on the web. Just read the opening paragraph to see how one small child's dreams were so brutally crushed by his dad's cruel actions.
Under the East Coast Main Line.
Into Cramlington.
I did Cramlington last February. It's a new town, and if I was being charitable, I'd say it's like Bracknell but the wind is a bit colder and Northumberland Council don't feel the need to knock down the town centre every ten years like Bracknell Forest do.
If I was being less charitable, I'd say it's the Tyne version of Peterlee.
But I carried on, eventually reaching my chosen destination of Blyth. The town grew up around the middle aged based on its port, with fishing, salt refining and ship building being prominent. However, the mining of the local coal fields saw the harbour significantly upgraded, as it became the major export point for the area. This was further exploited when the railways arrived, as the coal could be moved in from further afield for export, be it to coastal destinations around the UK, or else to Northern Europe. However, the decline of the mining industry hit the town hard, as not only did the clleries shut, but there was huge reliance on the coal trade through the port. These days the sea trade has been replaced with Scandinavian timber and paper, and also as a base for off shore wind farms. The town itself is partially re-inventing itself as a higher end commuter town for Newcastle.
Running through the outskirts of the town is the freight only Blyth and Tyne railway. The last time I'd been through here was in January 2014 amongst the social elite on the Old Battle Axe rail tour, which took in such delights as Lynemouth Power Station and North Blyth Battleship Wharf, which I'm sure I don't have to tell you is the location of Cambois Biomas bulk handling terminal.
However, this time I had to make do with a bus tour around the variously aged estates that make up the town.
Today I wasn't making it to the dilettante splendour of Blyth seafront, instead it was off just outside the centre.
There was the temptation of Top Gun tattos.
A huge mock tudor estate pub which had a very optimistic ice cream van waiting for business outside. I only hope that the proprietor had a sideline in drugs and moody DVDs, otherwise it would be a very long day for them.
But I had a quest for a second game of the day. I was in the right place, as Blyth has at least five non-league teams at the moment; Blyth Spartans in the National League North, Blyth AFC in the Northern League, and Blyth Town, Blyth FC and Blyth Spartans Reserves in the Northern Alliance.
Added to this are the quite fantastic teams from the recent past, Blyth Kitty Brewster were in the Northern Alliance from 1988 to 1994 when they became Blyth Sea Horse but dropped out of the league in 1996. Then there was Blyth Isabella in the same league until last season.
Anyway, my pick today was Blyth FC.
Blyth 2 v Gateshead Redheugh 1957 1, Bay Plastics Northern Football Alliance - Team Valley Carpets Division 2
Blyth FC were founded in 2013 as Blyth Eagles playing in Newcastle Corinthians League. After a 0-11 defeat in their first ever game, they recovered to move up the divisions, dropped the Eagles part of the name, and in 2016, step up to the Northern Alliance where they remain in the second division.
Gateshead Redheugh 1957, were formed in, well 1957, in the Redheugh part of Gateshead. They are a large youth set up, moving to the Eslington Park complex in 2011, a location I visited last year for some churches league action.
Cowpen was a former colliery area west of Blyth. The collieries shut down from the 1930s, and now it is a large housing estate outside. Within it is Cowpen Park. I have been here before, but the pitch being used today was always marked out as the rugby pitch.
Anyway, the ground. Well there was this rope.
And branded corner flags. Being as my upbringing in non-league, and therefore point of reference, is always the Hellenic League, this is two levels below, so a schoolyard hopscotch pitch would suffice.
I watched the teams warm up.
Except one of the subs was tucking into a Kentucky Fried Chicken variety box.
In a 'You probably wouldn't get this in the Premier League Scene', he then settled down to finish off his Hot Wings, as an Optare Solo (it's one of the four bus types I know as it to work the 148 from Burghfield) passed by behind the goal.
The game started. Here is an artistic shot of the kick off, necessitated as I'd made my way over to the adjacent Lidl to go and have a shit, and was wandering back only to find kick off apparently being at 1255.
There was some football.
I tried to get an action shot that included the badge on the corner flags.
But soon gave up and just took pictures of the corner flags.
There were a decent amount of players and officials on the sidelines.
Though actual spectators consisted of me and these three lads.
I resorted to just taking pictures of high balls.
Only just keeping this one in shot.
This bloke was neither the physio, nor could wear a bib the right way round.
Good to see an @keepers_towel present. If this was to be used as a 'spot the ball' picture, would there be a single correct guess?
The locals seemed quite obsessed with spunking cock graffiti, with a very liberal daubing of them across the site.
@nonleague_spunkingcockgraffiti, coming to a twitter account soon.
Anyway, there were three goals, two of which I never noticed and one when I was trying to take a picture of a spunking cock on a wheelie bin. The game then ended.
The Optare Solo from earlier re-appeared.
And whisked me to somewhere near the centre.
Where a dash across the road got me onto a Newcastle bound bus.
Which dropped me off on the southern most part of town.
Where there was more mining heritage.
The former colliery site here now housing Blyth Town, except it wasn't them I'd come to see, it was ground sharers AFC Blyth, not to be confused with Blyth FC, who I'd just watched.
Blyth AFC were formed a couple of years. A local businesman decided he wanted professional football in Blyth im five years. He approached Conference side Blyth Spartans who decided that his credentials as a UKIP Councillor/reality TV star/property developer were perhaps not who they ideally wanted to get involved with, so instead he stropped off to Blyth Town, five levels below, where he took over their first team, which he has since re-named Blyth AFC. He has also now moved them to Ashington, with this meant to be the last game in Blyth.
Except there didn't seem to be any sign of a game.
Twitter confirming a rather dubious postponement, as the pitch looked ok.
The facility here was a former colliery and on it a sports complex was built as a huge neighbouring area had new housing built on it and the developers paid for the facilities here. A youth team, Blyth Town Juniors were formed, who then became the senior team Blyth Town, who play in the Northern Alliance. They gained promotion to the Northern league, but then became the Blyth AFC mentioned above, but then Blyth Town have started another team in the Alliance. However, being on former mining terrain means the land is of poor quality, not least because it is on slag heaps which were dumped on a stream, so drainage is very poor. Having two teams play on the pitch has caused real problems, hence AFC Blyth decamping for the rest of the season, and wanting to build their own ground on greenbelt land on the other side of the road.
But there were other options. Not this though as rugby is shit.
There was this pub, which answered the query as to the Blyth Seahorse team name.
But instead, a short walk took me here.
With a game well underway. Credence to the steward on the right, who is manning the gate for late arrivals. However, it is tucked away in the corner, well out of sight of the pitch. His novel solution is a set of decorators ladders, which he is perched atop, getting a clear view of the game, if slightly at the mercy of the firm wind which seems to be a permanent fixture in the town.
Blyth Spartans 3 v Bradford Park Avenue 0, Vanarama National League - North
Blyth Spartans have their origins on the banks of the Eurotas River in Laconia, in 650 BC south-eastern Peloponnese. Despite early dominance in the Greco-Persian Wars (which I think was a feeder into the Combined Counties League), defeat by Thebes in the Battle of Leuctra in 371 BC saw their dominance decline. A near 2300 year exile from competitive football ended when they re-grouped in north east England in 1899, the East Northumberland League being favoured over the commencement of a third Messenian War as the latter had been felt to have gone too commercial. Bloody Cretan mercenaries. The 20th century saw an amble through the Northern Alliance, North Eastern, Midland and Northern Counties leagues. However, these competitions had a mortality rate to match any battle scarred Arcadian, so in the 1960s the club joined the amateur ranks and joined the Northern League. This started a second period of Spartan Hegemony, but instead of victories over 4th century BC Athenians, instead it was ten league titles over a thirty year period, and a number of notable FA Cup campaigns, most famously in 1977/78 when they reached the fifth round but were knocked out by Wrexham. The 1990s saw the step up to the Northern Premier League, gaining promotion to the premier division at the first attempt. The next move up was in 2006 when an NPL title win saw elevation to the Conference North. After six seasons they dropped out, but another NPL title last season sees them return.
The original Bradford Park Avenue club have a rather unique history as they were actiaully formed in 1863 as a rugby union club, switching to rugby league in 1895, but then in 1907, switching to football. If the story can get any odder, they then joined the Southern league, until election to the football league in 1908. Although they were initially in the second division, with the formation of third and then fourth tears, they dropped down the leagues, before failing re-election in 1970 amidst financial woes. They hung on in none league, before going bust in 1974, when a newly formed Sunday league side took on the name. Proper non-league was not encountered until 1988 in the West Riding League, which saw progression through the Central Midlands, North West Counties and Northern Premier leagues, with dalliances with the Conference North, where they currently reside.
Blyth moved into Croft Park in 1909, though the pitch moved around the site a number of times in the opening years.
The main stand was built in the 1970s to replace a previous wooden offering. It was built by the local council and is of a near identical design to the one at neighbouring Ashington. It was refurbished for promotion to the Conference, with the roof extended and the wooden benching replaced by seating obtained second hand from St James Park.
The cover opposite is actually the oldest structure in the ground, though looks to have been either rebuilt or certainly had some major TLC in recent times. There used to be grass banking either side but this too has gone.
Recent additions for the 2006 promotion to the conference, were covers at either end of the ground.
As well as a quite fantastic homespun wheelchair enclosure. The dance podium from the local Ritzy, three bar stools and the top half of a burger van. More of this please.
Anyway, Blyth scored from a penalty then Bradford had all the play.
I'd taken my place amongst the travelling supporters. Almost my people.
Blyth have also been winners of the Northumberland Aged Miners Homes Cup, the Peter Swales Memorial Shield, and the South Tyneside Football Benevolent Fund Gazette Cup.
Making my way to the bar at half time, I was honoured to be able to view a second Blyth goal from the Brian Potter Suite.
Blyth scored a third in the second half and the game finished 3-0. I made my way for a return bus into Newcastle.
Enjoying more scenic dual carriageways of Northumberland.
It was back into Gosforth.
Where it was off at the bus station.
Back to the Metro.
And another South Hyton bound service.
For a three minute insect move to South Gosforth.
Where there were two convenient Guide Pubs to clear. First off the Branding Villa.
An Exit 33 - Northern Best being accompanied by a slightly different viewpoint on the non-meet eating clientele than my earlier hostelry had.
Then to the Millstone which was just fucking painful as there were a queue of people ordering food from the sole person serving, all of which had to keep running back and forward to their tables to find out which vegetables every member of their party wanted. The Beer Monkey - Uncle Monk's IPA was definitely not worth the wait.
So it was back to the station, with the 150 year old North Eastern Railway footbridge, as a Coast bound service awaits my train in from the airport crossing the junction in front of it.
It was back to Central station, Where a Trans Pennine service was awaiting in the bay.
This dropped me down to Leeds, for a fairly decent connection onto a Victoria all shacks.
